#NEHF 9th & 10th Grade Divisions - Sunday Recap I

It’s championship Sunday at the Northeast Hoops Festival and we’ve got continuous recaps coming at you throughout the day. Here’s a look at the early standouts in the Underclassmen divisions:

The House of Sports Pride team showed off a talented u16 club with talent across all five positions. Jayquan Smith, a powerful 6-foot-6 combo-forward was the biggest standout, and a very pleasant surprise with his combination of size, strength, athleticism and straight line drives. Emmanuel Oyakhilome anchored the team on the interior with his big body, which is typically unmatched in the 10th grade division, Eric Monroe and Brandon Redendo paced the guards. Monroe looked the part of a knock down three-point shoot and dependable ball-handler while Redendo is a playmaker with some flair to his game.

Daevyon Robinson was impressive for Fab 5 Elite on Sunday morning utilizing his thick frame to go through competition like a bull in a china shop and score numerous buckets in the paint.

Wayne PAL has impressed in all age groups this weekend with well coached teams and balanced line-ups. This morning, Justin Hodge stood out as a long and athletic wing who could both slash and defend.

In an AAU setting, sometimes the best way to standout is by showing a high basketball I.Q. and that’s exactly what Mass Evo’s Nick Philibert was able to do, not just making heady plays with the ball in his hands but cutting beautifully away from the ball as well.

Stamford Peace had a tough back-court with Peter Galgano, a crafty and skilled guard who did his damage with floaters and tough pull-ups alike, and Deandre Russell, a bulldog power guard who was able to initiate offense and play through contact.

Greater Hartford Pro-Am hung on to be CBC in a hotly contested u16 game which featured great backcourt play on both sides. Brad Landry has evolved into a heady point guard for CBC while Nick Casiano is the resident shot-maker but it was Jordan Pruitt who was virtually impossible to keep out of the lane as the jitter bug guard showed quickness and handle alike.

Middlesex Magic point guard Chad DiCenzo and Metro Boston point guard Jaelen Bellitti went back and forth in a match-up of two talented point guards with contrasting styles. Bellitti is a playmaker, long with plenty of burst, while DiCenzo is a throwback who distributes first and foremost, runs the teams and has a high I.Q.

Greg Calixte looked good inside for the NY Rens, utilizing his strong body to create space in the lane to both score and rebound the ball as the Rens ran away with their first game of the day.

The freshmen tandem of David Mitchell and A.J. Reeves showed why they are a dynamic one-two punch for the Mass Rivals. Reeves’ abilities are well known, but Mitchell is a guy who is going to make a name for himself in the coming months as this southpaw is powerful, aggressive and creative.